The Hobbit's Alphabet 2
by Lowri Brandybuck
Summary: FS and MP SLASH 'But he can't stop, not while Merry's still out there.'
1. A is for angry and advice

**Oh yes, I'm back, again. I missed doing this :) So I have SF and MP in this first one. A very old SF.**

**I own nothing.**

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**Angry**

Oh, don't bother looking at the floor when I pass you. I already know it was me you were whispering about. Don't you have anything better to do, anyone else to talk about? When you're gathered around the kitchen table, giggling and gossiping, while the older cooks 'tut' and shake their heads and sigh out '_I told you so_'s. Or when you're walking the halls in pairs and fall silent when we both pass the corner, continuing your chat when we've gone by.

Maybe it would be better if you did let your eyes fall to the floor. At least then I wouldn't feel you staring at me, watching me and '_Oh, isn't it Master Merry's room that way?_'

But it's only a few more steps and then I can forget them all, lock the door and pretend that Merry and I are the only two people in the world.

**Advice**

Every bit of advice his father ever gave him, he remembered. He remembered it, stored it away in his memory he needed it, and quoted it, word for word.

But sometimes Sam wonders exactly much of his advice was helpful.

"Remember your place."

"Mind your betters."

"Don't get ideas too big for you."

It's things like that that stop the phrases and sentances echoing in his head everytime he looks at Mr Frodo, _his_ Frodo, and open his mouth to reveal _that_ secret.

Maybe he shouldn't have taken his father's advice, and taken his mother's instead.

"Follow your heart, Sam."


	2. B is for bonfire

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone :)**

**MP ... not slash but you know how I am, drabble by coinsidence.**

**Own nothing etc.**

… **Enjoy.**

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**Bonfire**

"It's not a proper bonfire," Pippin said, staring through the flames at Merry on the other side. "It's too small. I could jump over this."

"Oh no you bloody well couldn't."

"I could. If I had a big enough run up, I mean." Merry, who had never completely trusted his cousin around fire, moved to stand next to him.

"Pip..."

"I'm not going to, of course. But I could." The younger of the two shook his head, and smiled at the other. "Don't worry, Merry."

"I have to worry about you. Especially when you start talking about jumping over fires."


	3. C is for Crickhollow

**Please note not all updates will be coming this quickly.**

**MP... slightlysorta slash**

**Own nothing etc.**

**Enjoy etc. I'm sure there's a mistake in here I'm miissing when I'm re-reading it. It you see it, tell me? **

**ETA: Thanks HanaTohruShipperMorgan... and Evenstar-Greenleaf, and theone I'm not mentioning:)**

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**C is for Crickhollow**

When they arrived at the small house - now _their_ small house - in Crickhollow, it was cold, dark and had been raining for half an hour.

Merry struggled with the front gate, one that creaked loudly and was covered in flaking black paint that came away in his hands, for a few minutes before abandoning it and following the path to the front door.

Pippin, who had stolen the keys from Merry earlier, had already dropped his pack onto the floor just inside and was looking around the house.

"I know it's probably a bad idea," he shouted from the second bedroom, "but I'm too tired to sit in the bath for twenty minutes, Merry. I wish we'd have left earlier, we might have missed the rain."

"Well, I hope you don't want anything to eat either," Merry called back, emptying his own pack onto the kitchen table. "Why didn't we bring more food?"

"Because the food, along with everything else, is arriving tomorrow. It was your idea to leave a day earlier."

"Not early enough to miss the rain..."

Now standing in the doorway to the kitchen, Pippin held out his hand.

"Come and sleep and you can worry about us starving in the morning."


	4. D is for dancing

**Sorry, if you got a chapter-update-alert-email-thing before. I posted it without editing it.**

**SF this one. Um.. that's it. Enjoy.**

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**Dancing**

Sam doesn't like dancing that much. It's a strange thing for hobbits to dislike, so he doesn't mention it and hopes no one pays him any attention at parties.

He'll dance with a few people, but soon stop. He never feels as good as the others, who can spin their partners around easily, and jump and twirl with the music, moving more gracefully than Sam could ever hope to.

He's staring into his third ale when Frodo, breathless and grinning and cheeks bright against pale skin, falls into the seat next to him.

"You'll dance with me, won't you Sam?"

And he hesitates. He's got excuses ready, and Frodo would never force him. But... It's Frodo. He'd be with Sam, laughing and smiling and holding onto Sam and... blast it!

"Of course, Mr Frodo."


	5. E is for exaggurate

**That was a long time between chapters, wasn't it? Oh well, exams, etc. and it's here now. Sorry.**

**MP SLASH. MP at last!**

**Still own nothing. And enjoy.

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**Exaggerate**

"They always exaggerate these things." Merry lifted his head and looked at his cousin, sitting at the foot of the bed and glaring down a book in his hands.

"What?"

"These books," Pippin said, waving the small green book around in one hand, "are full of rubbish. I mean, if I suddenly... Merry, are you listening?" He dropped his head back on to the pillow, eyes closed, and nodded.

"Mm."

"If I suddenly started saying 'I love you' every other paragraph... minute, even, you'd be concerned wouldn't you?"

"I'd think you'd had one too many. Or walked into the doorframe again. You have to start remembering that you're a bit taller."

"Exactly." He continued, ignoring his Merry's last remark. "And why is it always unhappy to start with? With the, the happily-ever-after ending and the bad beginning?"

"Lasses like that sort of thing. Love overcoming everything else. Doing anything to be together. Swearing that they'll never be separated again. Plus it makes the book longer."


	6. F is for food

**MP... not really slash but you know how I like to label these things.**

**Thanks muchly to Sheepy for unknowingly helping me. And unknowingly reminding me to post this when I got distracted by Wikipedia.**

**I own nothing, enjoy, feel free to point out mistakes or suggest improvements.****

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**Food**

"Pippin, you've just had breakfast."

"I know," Pippin said, rooting through the biscuit box. The best ones, the nice jammy ones, always hid at the bottom, normally buried underneath Merry's custard creams and the ones with white icing that neither of them liked that much. "But it's an hour and a half until second breakfast and I only had one bit of bacon this morning. _An hour and a half_!" He repeated, staringat his cousin, before shouting "Ah ha!" and lifting out a jammy biscuit, in one piece and with no escaping jam. Merry shook his head and sighed.

"Oh, Pip." Pippin smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I'll find you a custard cream. You can't have eaten all of them already."


	7. G is for good

**Sorry sorry sorry for the wait! Sixth form takes up time, you know.**

**MP SLASH and if you can't work out what Merry's just said to Pip you haven't been reading enough slash. Shame on you.**

**Own nothing, please enjoy, improvements welcome, and I know I used their names every other time but there's very little else to call them.**

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**Good**

Merry turns to run away and escape the hallway, ashamed of what he's just confessed to his younger _and oh so perfect_ cousin. Pippin reaches out, catching Merry's wrist and stopping him. Pippin pulls the arm until his older cousin has no choice but to turn around.

"I don't hate you, Merry," Pippin mutters, his voice low and quiet, but still echoing in the empty hallway. Merry raises his head to look Pippin in the eyes, frowning slightly.

"No?"

"No." And he gives a small half-smile as he moves the hand circling Merry's wrist down, so that he's holding on so tightly to Merry's hand.  
"Of course not. Whatever you say..."

"Oh." Merry smiles back, relaxing. "Good."

Pip, so happy he's close to laughing, tugs his cousin's hand so he's close enough for Pippin to wrap his arms around him.

"I do hope," Pippin says quietly into Merry's ear, "you weren't lying to me."

"Oh, no." He answers quickly, shaking his head. Pippin smiles once more and moves to rest his forehead on Merry's shoulder.

"Good."


	8. H is for hurt

**Didn't leave it that long between updates this time, did I? Oh well. And I tried to make this a drabble but I didn't have the heart to cut it down.  
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**MP SLASH I own nothing, enjoy, suggestions welcome etc. **

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**Hurt**

Pippin hurts Merry every day. It's not because he hates him, it's not because he's with someone else, it's not because Merry knows Pippin will never love him. It's because Pippin doesn't hate him, because Pippin will stay with him, because Pippin does love him. But Pippin is so young, so innocent, so...

Pip's never thought about anyone else, never loved anyone else, never smiled at or laughed with anyone the way he does Merry. And Merry knows that one day, Pippin will wonder if he made the right decision, maybe be doubt his choice on who to love, and the doubt will hurt Merry more than any slap or unkind word he's ever received.


	9. I is for ignorant

**There's another version of this which may be going up into my LJ soon.**

**MP SLASH, Pippin POV.**

**Own nothing, improvements welcome, enjoy etc. **

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**Ignorant**

He thinks I don't know. He thinks I never notice. He thinks I'm so... _stupid_ I'd never notice him walking out of the Green Dragon after some nameless shadow with a pretty smile. That I'd never notice him ignoring me in favour of the lass he's just seen across the room. That I'd never notice that almost every word he says to me, almost every kiss he gives me is a lie.

He thinks he can carry on like this, until he gets bored of me being there, until he gets rid of me.

Because I'm just poor ignorant little Pippin. And I'll never notice anything.


	10. J is for just

**Actually written a week ago, but didn't like me when I tried to load it up. So, you get it now. Enjoy etc.**

**MP SLASH drabble, if you please :)**

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**Just**

Everyone always makes such a fuss about Merry and me, you know. But I don't see why. There's nothing amazing or special about us, nothing that makes us different from anyone else, not really. We're just two lads. Two lads who happen to be cousins. Cousins who happen to be friends. Friends who became best friends. Best friends who became more... after years of wondering and worrying and one rushed and mixed-up confession so many years ago now.

So I don't see why everyone has to be so concerned about us. We're just lads, cousins, friends, lovers. We're just... us.


	11. K is for kitchen

**K is a horrible letter. I remember that from last time now. Ah well. Here you go.**

**MP SLASH enjoy, improvements welcome etc.  
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**Kitchen**

The first room on the left when you come through the front door. Thirteen steps from the bedroom, if you're fully awake, that is. Otherwise it's eighteen (that table's been there forever and they _still_ walk into it everyday). Home of tea and biscuits and every other food they could possibly want. Best place to be in the whole house, in Pippin's opinion, after their bedroom, of course, for various different reasons. 

In an hour, Merry's mother will be sitting down in the kitchen with a cup of tea in front of her. Until then, Pippin's busy having a well deserved nap ("Because you've only been asleep for ten hours, isn't that right, Pip?") on the table, one hand inside the fruit bowl and the other holding onto the sugar spoon.


	12. L is for leaves

**MP SLASH **

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**L is for leaves**

"You're not going to jump into it, are you, Pippin?"

"Maybe..." He replied, eyeing the pile of autumn leaves in front of them.

"Go on then."

"Are you not joining me, Meriadoc?"

"One of us has to appear to be responsible." Pippin sighed.

"But that's no fun! Oh come on! You can say I forced you into it, bribed you, if you want." Merry laughed as he let himself be led forward, Pippin's warm, mitten-covered hand holding his.

"And what are you bribing me with, dearest?" He asked, as though his cousin's wicked smile didn't already answer his question.


	13. M is for morning

**MP SLASH **

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**M is for morning **

The sunlight shining through the window makes Pip's skin glow and his hair turn to gold and the sight reminds Merry of all the clichés he's ever heard.

Lying at an awkward angle, Pippin manages to take up the whole bed, and his head isn't even on the pillows. His arms and legs are tangled up in the sheets and it's hard to believe he fell asleep curled up like a harvest mouse.

"Come on, Pippin, rise and shine." There's a few aggravated mumbles and complaints, and a quiet thump as one of the pillows hits the floor.

"It's too early Merry," Pippin mutters, stretching as he speaks, cocking his head to one side before yawning loudly.

"It's morning, and I'm sure the rest of the Shire is up by now." His cousin blinks at him with sleepy green eyes, and pushes his hair out of his eyes.

"Not in Tuckborough they won't be."


	14. N is for near

**MP SLASH**

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**N is for near**

He's always there.  
He can't go two feet without Merry watching him. It's like he can't be trusted to walk from one side of the room to the other. It's silly and he's twenty four, not ten. Maybe, if Pippin didn't love every minute he spent near Merry, if he wasn't so worried it might be someone else Merry would be watching next time; he might be annoyed and shout at Merry to leave him alone for just one minute.

He's always there.  
Always around. With his arm around Pippin's waist, or his head resting on Pippin's shoulder, or his hand holding Pippin's and not letting go never ever. It's like if Pippin moves more than two feet away, he'll disappear, run away and never come back. It's sweet, and he's twenty six now, not ten, so he can make his own decisions. He couldn't imagine Merry watching over someone else like he does Pip, or not loving how it feels to stand with Merry and fit so perfectly, and he defiantly can't imagine being annoyed so annoyed he'd even considering asking for one second alone.


	15. O is for once

**MP SLASH **

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**O is for once**

Just once, he thinks to himself, just one kiss, one touch, just once... Just once, and that'll be it. This 'obsession' will be over; it'll all be back to normal. Too often he finds himself staring at Pippin, thinking about him, about the Just Once.

A few weeks after his promise to himself, he pulls Pippin into a darkened corner, out of sight and just this once...

And now Pippin's in front of him, lips parted and smiling and eyes shining, close enough for Merry to count every single freckle on his face, and all Merry can think is - just once more...


	16. P is for picture

**MP**

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**P is for picture**

"MerryMerryMerry!" Oh no, not now.

"Pippin, _go away_," Merry said, glaring at his smaller cousin from his chair by the window. After a whole day entertaining the hyperactive toddler, he felt he'd earned a short rest in the library.

"I drew you a picture," he said, clambering onto Merry's lap, ignoring the tone of voice.

"Oh really"

"Yep," he answered, smiling and holding out the piece of torn paper in his hand. "That's you," Pip said, peering over the top of the paper and pointing to a yellow blob with large grey circles in the middle, "and that's me!" he added, placing a hand over a blue blob with green circles.

Merry took the picture from him, looking at it more closely before looking back at the beaming Took."Clever boy," he said, poking his cousin's nose. "Why are you blue"

"I was wearing blue," Pippin answered, "and then I spilt some tea and I had to change. Do you like it? You can put it on your bedroom wall at home"

"It's lovely, Pip." Merry closed his book and put it down on the table next to him. He could alway have that break after Pippin had gone to sleep.


	17. Q is for quiet

**MP SLASH**

**Yes I'm back. Just over a year since my last update. Um. I blame school, Torchwood, and the Mighty Boosh for distracting me. Heh.**

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**Q is for quiet**

It wasn't that he didn't like visiting Brandy Hall (and occasionally the Great Smials, of course), he just prefered staying at Crickhollow. Their home was quiet and peaceful, and Merry had become rather used to waking up late in the morning to the sounds of birds and sheep outside, accompanied by Pippin's gentle snoring next to him.  
But Brandy Hall was never completely quiet. There was always someone on the way to the kitchens for food, or a baby crying, or someone deciding that the hallway outside Merry's room was the perfect place for a conversation in the middle of the night. A good night's sleep was virtually impossible for him now, and sleeping in past eight in the morning never happened. He spent most dinners trying not to fall asleep in the soup.  
"You're getting old, that's your problem," Pippin had said after hearing Merry's complaint, "keep your head under your pillow. Or you can try and find a shed in the gardens and sleep out there."


	18. R is for reunite

**G**

**Back, with two updates!**

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**R is for reunite**

They're apart from each other for a fortnight once they've all returned to the Shire. It's understandable; they've been away from their families for over a year, it's only natural that they spend some time getting used to quiet life in the Shire again.

Then Merry wakes up one day to find a letter on the table by his bed. It's from Pippin, sent that morning and about half a page long, 'I'm coming to visit you tomorrow' underlined at the bottom just above his name and a splatter of what he guesses to be jam.

Merry considers getting up, to help clear some of the mess that has managed to accumulate in his room in the space of fourteen days, or check that they have enough jam tarts in the kitchen. It's past second breakfast and Merry should be getting up for food alone, but after so long sleeping on the ground he's enjoying the novelty of a soft bed with feather pillows.

Instead he turns over and tries to fall asleep again; letter still in his hand, hoping that when he wakes up it will be tomorrow already.


	19. S is for searching

**G**

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**S is for Searching**

"He has to be alive, he has to be alive," Pippin mutters to himself.

Now he's thankful to be a Hobbit, to be so much smaller then Men. He can simply ignore the black shapes on the floor that are too large to be his cousin. He doesn't think he'd have the strength to turn over every body and be both hoping and dreading it was Merry every time.

He has been looking for hours and knows that it would take days for him to search the entire battlefield. He doesn't have that much time; _Merry_ might not have that much time.

Stumbling over his own feet, he looks up at the sky. There's only an hour left of sunlight now, and he's hungry, tired, thirsty, aching to fall into bed sleep a year away.

But he can't stop, not while Merry's still out there.


End file.
